Debian bug tracking software

The Debian bug tracking system is a set of scripts which maintain a
database of problem reports.

Key features:

All input and manipulation of reports is done by email;
developers do not need on-line web access or accounts on the host
system.

Outstanding, recently closed and other listings of reports are
made available via a webserver, and by an email request bot.

Each report has a separate email address for submission of
additional information.

WWW listings of bugs can be mirrored by email or HTTP.

Core functions do not require CGI scripts.

The Debian Project's instance has handled 16000 reports over the
past 3-4 years, and currently has a database of 5000 reports totalling
90Mb (January 1997).

GPL'd.

The scripts have been parameterised so that they can be used for other
projects besides Debian; however, for a feel of what the results are
like please see my local mirror of the
Debian
Project bug database, which also contains the system's user
documentation.

The system runs on Unix and expects to have its own (possibly
`virtual') mail domain, with the MTA for the host system being
configured to pass mail for the bug system to it via a pipe command.
You will need a fairly complete modern Unix installation to use it;
most of the code is written in Perl5. A full list of requirements is
in the README.

Download

All previously distributed versions are also available via
anonymous
FTP.

Mailinglists

I have set up two mailinglists debbugs-announce and
debbugs-discuss. The announcements list is moderated and
will contain only announcements of important bugs, new versions, &c.

To subscribe, go to the
list
management pages or send mail containing the word
subscribe to
debbugs-announce-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk or
debbugs-discuss-REQUEST@chiark.greenend.org.uk.

History

In 1994 the Debian Project needed
a system for keeping track of outstanding bugs. There didn't appear
to be anything which met our requirements (GNATS, the GNU offering,
seemed overly complex in the wrong areas, and had only very
rudimentary email support), so I wrote a rudimentary system. Since
then the system has grown fairly organically, and now has a fairly
rich feature set.

nCipher, my employers since 1997,
needed a similar system, and they agreed to have me parameterise (on
company time) the system so that it could be used for other projects
including their own.

Copyright

The Debian bug tracking system is free software; you can
redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General
Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program and documentation is distributed in the hope that it will
be useful, but without any warranty; without even the implied
warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. See the GNU General Public
License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with the system, or one should be available above; if
not, write to the
Free Software Foundation,
59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA,
or email debbugs-maint@chiark.greenend.org.uk.